Governor Abbott Issues Executive Order Targeting Chinese Communist Party’s Harassment Of Texans

November 18, 2024 – Austin, Texas – Governor Greg Abbott today issued an executive order to protect Texans from the coordinated harassment and coercion by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) or the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The Governor directed the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to target and arrest any criminals executing CCP influence operations like “Operation Fox Hunt” to forcibly return dissidents to China.   

“The Chinese Communist Party has engaged in a worldwide harassment campaign against Chinese dissidents in attempts to forcibly return them to China,” said Governor Abbott. “Texas will not tolerate the harassment or coercion of the more than 250,000 individuals of Chinese descent who legally call Texas home by the Chinese Communist Party or its heinous proxies. Ensuring the safety, welfare, and well-being of Texans is a top priority. I directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to identify and bring criminal charges against individuals who harass Texans on behalf of this hostile foreign adversary. We will continue to do everything we can to protect Texans from the unlawful and repressive actions of the Chinese Communist Party.”
 
At the direction of the Governor Abbott, DPS will immediately begin to: 

• Identify and charge individuals suspected of crimes relating to exploiting dissidents on behalf of any foreign government. 
• Partner with local and federal law enforcement through the Texas Fusion Center to assess the incidents where foreign governments extend their reach beyond their borders to intimidate Texans. 
• Discover and document individuals suspected of planning, attempting, or carrying out acts of repression, and by January 15, 2025, provide policy recommendations on how to counter such threats and develop training programs that can be used to identify and report such illicit activity to DPS. 
• Introduce a hotline and update the iWatch Texas Community Reporting System to allow Texans to directly report any sort of suspected acts of oppression or coercion by PRC or CCP actors, or other foreign adversaries against Texans. Texans can report suspicious activity at iwatchtx.org, through the iWatchTexas mobile app, or by calling 844-643-2251. Reporting through any of these channels can be anonymous.